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A UW-Madison student who managed to get an impressive slate of celebrities off their feet albeit to pretend they had her fancy footwork on TikTok during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic is among thousands graduating from the university this weekend.

Mary Papageorge is a testament to putting her classroom learning to use. As one of the 70% of UW-Madison students who have a job offer in hand by the time they don their caps and gowns for commencement, Papageorge will take what she learned in class and on her portable Irish dance platform to improve consumer relationships.

I felt like there was a key that was unlocked in my brain that made me understand everything a lot easier, especially in classes, because I could definitely see the trajectory of long-term goals within business, she said.

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It all started as the emerging pandemic upended the last weeks of Papageorges freshman year. And the Mequon native had been on bedrest after years of competitive Irish dancing which requires a lot of fast jumping, often on the balls of your feet or the tips of your toes had contributed to a herniated disc in her back. Now retired from dancing and looking to stave off boredom, Papageorge posted a reaction video from a previous competition.

But viewers of that video wanted to actually see Papageorge dance. So, three weeks after a spinal surgery, Papageorge started combining Irish dancing footwork with pop songs garnering millions of views and catching the attention of celebrities, dance icons and eventually her current employer, Under Armour, who hired her as a consumer intelligence specialist before graduation.

Mary Papageorge -- in her Irish dance shoes on the steps of the state Capitol -- cannot dance as often as she used to, as years of Irish dancing have taken a physical toll.

A consumer behavior studies major with a certificate in digital studies, Papageorge is one of 8,625 students graduating from UW-Madison this weekend. The majority of degrees including 6,225 bachelors degrees, most masters degrees and law school degrees will be conferred Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Doctorate, medical and masters of fine arts degrees will be received Friday night at the Kohl Center.

Saturdays 90-minute ceremony will feature commencement speaker and Badger dad Eric Holder Jr., the first Black U.S. Attorney General, and student speaker Liam McLean.

Merging two worlds

Papageorge is among the few people who have infused pop with the more traditional Irish dance.

Most of Papageorges dancing career has focused on upholding the dances hereditary aspects, such as step-dancing to Irish music with arms held rigid on your side. Drawn by the competitive aspect at a young age, Papageorge danced on both national and international stages.

But with the pop-based videos, the dance is slightly different. Papageorge coordinates her movements with the syllables and rhythm of the music. She also affords herself more liberty in moving her arms around as she dances on a portable stage in her backyard, in front of the Capitol, on the frozen chain of Yahara Lakes during the winter or along the Milwaukee lakefront.

Often behind the camera is Papageorges brother, Teddy, who helps her overcome deep-seated perfectionism from her competition days.

I got over it once I realized that Irish dance was still niche, and no matter what I posted it was already new to people, she said.

Mary Papageorge in her Irish dance shoes.

Cracking the algorithm

Papageorge spent months studying the TikTok algorithm and to get videos placed in peoples curated feeds.

The goal was always to grab the attention of artists whose songs Papageorge was dancing to. One of her first, to a Marshmallo song, wasnt what captured the artists attention rather, it was her first truly viral dance, to the song Fergalicious, that prompted Marshmallo and other celebrities, including Jason Derulo, the late comedian Bob Saget and Dancing With The Stars alum Derek Hough to take her dancing to new heights.

Theyd repost her video to millions of their own followers as theyd duet her video by keeping Papageorges fancy footwork on the bottom half and replacing the top with them dancing. That in turn drove up page views to Papageorges own profile. She racked up hundreds of thousands of followers.

Papageorge posted regularly in 2020 and the first half of 2021 but has since stepped back.

Now shes using her TikTok knowledge in a new way.

TikTok, once synonymous with dancing videos, has shifted to being more focused on fashion, Papageorge said. Its created a window of opportunity for Papageorge to take what she already knows adapting to what viewers want and helping Under Armour develop more authentic relationships with customers.

I dont know where its going to take me in the next five years, but I would happily work for them as long as theyd allow and hopefully learn more skills so that I can break another algorithm in another way, she said. I think itd be fun to just normalize social media use in general, for businesses and corporate settings ... thats where youre going to get the best sales is just having loyal customers who trust you, that are relatable at the same time.

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Internet-famous for Irish dancing, Mary Papageorge is about to grab ... - Madison.com